Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-12-22

effort to see the brightest sides OF all OBJ
Jecis IL we would learn the speed OF q
racing man we must judge of him not while
nc is sitting down. or standing still, but
while he Is running Thus the power Of On
age to be cheerful must be judged from It's
conduct upon those days which are devoted
TO festivisy. II the times Of public rejoicing
can bring but little gladness. the other days
OF the year must be reckoned as full OF
hardship
Could we compare together the December
OF the first century, the December of the
PuKftans and the December of 1887. those
three pictures would contain almost the
whole history of those differing dates They
would be photographs OF three differing
faces-faces containing some points of re-
semblnnce but also many unlike features
Christmas proper Is mover a day. Ii IL
really o week or about month. When the
almanac says December has come, then all
hearts begin to feel the presence OF that
snidwinter festival Each day adds to the
power of this feeling The work of sisters,
mo hers wives has some bearing upon the
TWEEN, y-fifth, and while that day is still far
of by tho estimate of the sun it is wonder
fully near in the estimate of the heart As
the trees and verdure along river are
blessed by the rivers moisture ii only in
the form of d mp air and a heavier dew.
40 the days long before Christmas are
touched with its spirit-the dew OF It's love
The modern facs would be brightest the
sAddest one would be that one nearest to
the tomb or cradle of Jesus Christ.
The Romans perceived that one day did
not contain all the import of the midsum-
mar gayety. They therefore made no eff
aort to crowd their season into a single sun
The SGturHStiG continued seven days. 1t
began as a oneday celebration and was
observed December 10th, but as it was
soon found that that brief period was q
CUP too small TO contain the wine of pleas
ure, IL was extended to three days; at last
E.s WAS enlarged BY the Emperor Claudian so
-as 10 take in ti.o Goth. In form. the festi-
Esal has now been changed back into the
'0ne-day shape, but in reality Christmas Is
much larger under our Presidents than it
was under Claudian and Callgula
1t is q great nid-winter period, and may
: well be looked upon as a type of the public
happiness or the public misforGunes of a
given data In the early Christian church
9t became single day. because being asked
TO stand for the birth of Jesus it had to be
n formal day rather than a week, but no
sRch limit alton could keep it from having
adjacent times which partook of its spirit,
aS dawn partakes of day.
The earliest Christmas was the saddest
the latest is the most joyful The heart
.ainks when it recalls the fact that our pine
trees which bend with presents for old and
young. that our reunions of relatives, our
parties, amusements and cessation of labor
came from foundations that were lad in
&onra While the early Christians were ct
tempting to celebrate their fGvorite day,
the Roman authorities were Watching
them and arresting them as being enemies
OF the regular sdtaradiia and friends of a
new religion. That feast which is now Gel
ebrated in every parior and dining room
and which cheers up all the streets of every
city and village was once observed in the
caves in the hills in the catacombs
under the streets of Rome Rome, like
Paris, was built upon solid rock The ex-
<cAvations made by stone quarries ran here
and there underground like the out-reach-
ing drifts of n mine. Into these cayerns